World Cup: Gareth Southgate " we know Belgium so well" -

England manager Gareth Southgate has insisted that they know the Belgian team so well following the Friday World Cup draws in Russia.

The Three Lions were drawn against Belgium, Tunisia and debutants Panama, Southgate was quick to say English players are familiar with top Belgian players due to the fact that most of their stars play in the English Premier League. In his statement with FIFA.com, he said

“We know Belgium really well. Most of their players play in the English Premier League,” Southgate said. “Panama is a team we’ve never played, so for us, it’s interesting to find out more about the team. Tunisia personally takes me back to 1998 and the first game of the World Cup in France, because as a player, my first game was against them.”

England opening match will be against Tunisia in Volgograd on 18 June 2018. It is not the first time England will play the North African team in the World Cup, the previous game ended in 2-0 in favour of England, Alan Shearer and Paul Scholes gave the Three Lions the victory.

Southgate’s side will then face the Panamanians in Nizhny Novgorod on 24 June 2018 before completing their group schedule against the Belgians in Kaliningrad four days later.

“We’re quite a young team,” Southgate said. “We don’t have huge experience of tournament football, but as a team, we have a lot of potential and a team that we think will improve in the next few years.”